Defroster for windshields of motor vehicles



April 1, 1941. TQQLAN 2,237,124

DEFROS'IER FOR wmnsnmws OF MOTOR VEHICLES Filed July 12, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR John Taobzn BY I W TTORNEY April 1, 1941. J.TOOLAN 2,237,124

' DEFROSTER FOR WINDSHIELDS 0F MOTOR VEHICLES Filed July 12, 1939 2Sheets-Sheet 2 I l l l I II/4; VIIIIIIIII/IIIII INVENTOR John 7602122,

ATTO R N EY Patented Apr. 1, 1941 DEFROSTER FOR WINDSHIELDS F MOTORVEHICLES John Toolan, New York, N. Y.

Application July 12, 1939, Serial No. 283,951

3 Claims.

This invention relates'to new and useful improvements in a defroster forWindshields.

The invention has for an object the construction of a defroster which ischaracterized by the fact that there is an arrangement for directingwarm air against the front of the windshield, and simultaneously againstthe back.

More specifically, the invention proposes the provision of a conduitextending from the vicinity of the engine of a vehicle to convey theheated air to the front of the windshield.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pipe arranged inproximity to a warm part of the engine, such as the exhaust manifold,and to direct this pipe to the inner face of the windshield and toprovide a means for forcing air through the pipe.

Still further the invention proposes a control by which the passage ofair through the pipe may be regulated and by which the passage of airthrough the conduit may be controlled.

Still further the invention proposes a shutter for the conduit arrangedin a manner to assist in controlling and directing the heated airagainst the windshield.

Still further this invention proposes a novel arrangement forcontrolling the discharge of heated air against different portions ofthe windshield.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the in'vention are more particularly setforth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a vehicle witha windshield and defroster constructed according to this invention,applied.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of another portion of the vehicle to showthe mechanism for defrosting the inner side of the windshield.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is another fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5 5 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 'I is a fragmentary sectional view looking in the direction of theline l'| of Fig. 5.

manifold 12*, and extends to the inner side of' the windshield todischarge warm air against same. A means is provided for forcing the airthrough the pipe l4 and includes a funnel l5 arranged on the outer endof the pipe and a fan I6 to blow air into the funnel. This fanpreferably should be driven by the engine 12.

The conduit I3 is arrangexi beneath the cowl of the vehicle. It has abottom wall I?) arranged sloping so that rain, snow or water which mayenter through the open end of the conduit will be discharged into atrough Iii and out from an exhaust pipe l3 and not directly uponthemotor l2. The conduit I3 is substantially as wide as the cowl andextends out through the top of the cowl at the area I0 so as todischarge warm air towards the windshield II.

A shutter I1 is supported by several hinges l8 upon the discharge end ofthe conduit. This shutter may be directed upwards at variousinclinations to assist in directing a stream of .hot air against thewindshield. The shutter 11 is held by an arm l8 which extends downwardsand pivotally connects with a slide member 20 working in a slot 2| of ahorizontal bracket 22 which is fixedly mounted within the cowl.

The sliding member 20 is also pivotally connected with a link 23, inturn pivotally connected with a link 24, which in turn is connected witha block 25. This block rotatively supports one end of a threaded stem26. This stem threadedly engages through a bushing 21 in the dash board28 of the vehicle. The outer end of the stem 26 is provided with ahandle 29 by which it may be conveniently turned. The arrangement issuch that by turning the handle 29 it is possible to move the slidemember 20 andso pivot the shutter I! to various open or partiallyclosed, or the closed position.

The pipe l4 terminates in a pipe section Il extended along the bottom ofthe windshield in' the inner side thereof. This pipe section I4- isprovided with a slot opening 30 through which the heated air maydischarge. This slot 30 is directed to discharge the air against thewindshield. A valve 32 is arranged in the pipe II to control passage ofthe air. This valve is controlled by a radial arm 33 which is pivotallyconnected at its outer end to one end of the link 23. The arrangement issuch that when the handle 29 is operated it simultaneously controls thevalve 32 and the shutter I1. Both of these are opened or closedtogether. Conduit device I3 may also be installed independently from thefunnel pipe arrangement I4, or vice versa.

The rear of the conduit I3 is provided with a stationary partition 35dividing it in two, so that there are separate discharges of air for thedriver's section of the windshield II, and for the adjacent passenger'ssection of the windshield. This partition 35 has a front section 35'extending through the front portion of the conduit I3.

This front section 35* is hingedly mounted, by a hinge 36 upon the frontedge of the rear sec-' tion. This front hinged section 35 is adapted tomove laterally, to various positions across one half of the conduit I3preferably the half in front of the passenger's portion of thewindshield so as to partially close this one-half of the conduit, andcause varying amounts o1 air entering the front of the conduit to passthrough the other half.

An auxiliary shutter 31 is arranged towards the inner face of theshutter I1 and extends across one-half of the discharge opening III ofthe conduit I3, specifically the half representing the seat of apassenger next to the driver of the automobile. This auxiliary shutter31 is supported by several hinges 33, at its bottom end, which areconnected with the top of the conduit [3, so as to be properlysupported. A resilient means, such as the spring 3U, is arranged tonormally urge the shutter 31 resiliently against the shutter I1. hingeof .the auxiliary shutter 31, and acts between the shutter 31 and thematerial of the conduit I3.

A cable I is connected with an upper portion of the auxiliary shutter31, and is guided over suitably guiding rollers 4 I, and connects withthe movable partition section 35 in a manner so that when the partition35- is moved laterally to close one-half of the conduit I3, the shutter31 will be moved closed, in specific relationship to the position of themoved section 35. For example, if the section 35' is moved to athreequarter position, the auxiliary shutter 31 will move closed to athree-quarters position.

In the partially open position of the front secion 35* of the partitiona small quantity of heated This spring 33 is coaxial upon the portedon'a portion of the automobile body III, particularly the dashboardthereof. This. shaft 46 is provided with a knob by which the shaft maybe turned.

A screen 50 is mounted across the discharge end of the conduit I3 forscreening the discharge air.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The heated air from under the hood of the automobile will enter thefunnel I5 and pass through the pipe I4 and discharge through the slot 33against the inside face of windshield II.

Heated air from under the hood will also enter the front end of theconduit I3, and in a normal position of the partition .35 will dischargefrom the entire-width of the rear end of the conduit and strike theshutters 31 and I1, and be deflected against the windshield. However invery stormy weather when snow or sleet start accumulating on the outsideof the windshield II, an adjustment may be made to at least keep thedriver's half of the windshield clear by supplying addi-' tional warmair to that section. This is done by turning the knob 41, to turn .thepartition section .35 across half of the conduit I3, the half oppositethe driver. This partition will therefore deflect most of the heated airthrough the half of the conduit representing the driver's half, then tothe windshield. Simultaneously as partition 35' is moved, to a closedposition, the auxiliary shutter 31 will'similarly be moved because ofthe interconnection, by the cable 40.

The handle 29 may be operated to control the shutter I1 and to controlthe valve 32 which is interposed in the pip I4.

In Fig. 8, the pipe I4 is illustrated with suitable fittings II whichpermits ready installation of the device into already built cars.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be ing within the scope of the invention as definedair will enter the conduit I3 and discharge against the windshield infront of the passenger's seat. If it were not for the auxiliary shutter31 the small quantity of air entering the passenger's in the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim-as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a defroster for Windshields, a conduit for location beneath thecowl of a vehicle having an engine beneath the cowl to receive heatedair from the engine of said vehicle and having a discharge end openingin the top of the cowl, a shutter for deflecting discharged air fromsaid opening against said windshield, means for movlng and holding saidshutter in various deflecting positions, a longitudinal partitiondividing said conduit in two and having a front section hingedly mountedto move laterally to various positions across one part of said conduitto deflect various partially opened portion of the conduit would loseits velocity as it discharged from the entirely opened rear end of thishalf oi'the conduit I3. However, the auxiliary shutter 31 is providedand mimics the movements of the front section 35 to cause the smallquantity of air to discharge against the passenger's half of thewindshield at the same velocity at which it entered the front end of theconduit.

The partition section 35" is adapted to be mani ually adjusted. This isaccomplished by a shaft 43 which is connected with the rear edge of theshutter section 35" and is rotatively supported. and provided with abevel gear 44 that meshes with a bevel gear 45 on a shaft 46 rotativelysupamounts of air into the other part of said conduit, an auxiliaryshutter for the rear half of the portion .of said conduit being closedby the front section of said partition, resilient, means urging saidauxiliary shutter against said shutter, and

a cable connected with the front section of said partition and with saidauxiliary shutter for drawing the auxiliary shutter closed to variousdegrees in proportion as the front section of the partition is movedlaterally a'cross said conduit.

2. Ina defroster for Windshields, a conduit for location beneath thecowl of a vehicle having an engine beneath the cowl to receive heatedair from the engine of said vehicle and having a discharge end openingin the top of the cowl, it shutter for deflecting'discharged air fromsaid opening against said windshield, means for movin and holding saidshutter in various deflecting positions, a longitudinal partitiondividing said conduit in two and having a front section hingedly mountedto move laterally to various positions across one part of said conduitto deflect various amounts of air into the other part of said conduit,an auxiliary shutter for the rear half of the portion of said conduitbeing closed by the front section of said partition, resilient meansurging said auxiliary shutter against said shutter, and a cableconnected with the front section of said partition and with saidauxiliary shutter for drawing the auxiliary shutter closed to variousdegrees in proportion as the front section of the partition is movedlaterally across said conduit, said resilient means comprising a springacting between said auxiliary shutter and said conduit, said auxiliaryshutter being pivotally mounted at its lower edge, and extendingadjacent to and acting against the rear face of said shutter.

3. In a defroster for Windshields, a conduit for location beneath thecowl of a vehicle having an engine beneath the cowl to receive heatedair from the engine of said vehicle and having a discharge end openingin the top of the cowl, a shuta cable connected with the front sectionof said Y partition and with said auxiliaryshutter for drawing theauxiliary shutter closed to various degrees in proportion as the frontsection 'of the partition is moved laterally across said conduit, saidresilient means comprising a spring acting between said auxiliaryshutter and said conduit, and means for moving and holding thefront-sec.- tion of said partition comprising a shaft connected with ahinge for said front section, a gear mounted on the bottom end of saidshaft, and a transmission system including a gear meshing with said gearfor manually turning said shaft.

JOHN TOOLAN.

